A ribbon-cutting ceremony last Thursday marked the completion of a massive construction project expanding water storage at Lake Success and paid tribute to the legacy of longtime Tule River Watermaster Richard L. Schafer.

The event gave more than 60 people who braved a blazing sun and whipping winds a birds’ eye view of the expanded dam.

Named the Richard L. Schafer Spillway, the $135 million project will increase the lake’s storage capacity by more than 28,000 acre feet to 112,000 acre feet. The project is intended to increase flood protection for the 60,000 residents of Porterville just five miles downstream from the lake along the Tule River.

Porterville Mayor Greg Meister and vice mayor Ed McKervey take a selfie on the newly completed spillway that is part of the Schafer Dam on Lake Success. Lisa McEwen / SJV Water

A Tribute to a Water Champion

“Mr. Schafer was one of my mentors and a champion for water infrastructure in our region, a visionary who understood just how important projects like this are to the long term health and prosperity of our community,” said Eric Limas, Lower Tule River Irrigation District manager. “This is more about the hands and minds that brought this project together than about concrete and capacity.”

Schafer’s daughters, Shelley Loescher and Sue Tharp, also were on hand and recognized at the event.

The earthen dam, originally called Success Dam, was completed in 1961 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For decades, Schafer spearheaded local efforts to partner with the Army Corps to increase the lake’s storage. The dam was renamed in his honor in 2019. He died in 2021 at 95.

Overcoming Project Challenges

Coming off three wet years, many guest speakers pointed to the water lapping behind the dam, where a few boaters and fishermen enjoyed a wide expanse of dark blue water against a backdrop of golden foothills.

Calvin Foster, who retired in November as the Army Corps’ Southern Operations Branch Chief, worked closely with Schafer.

Like all construction projects, this one had its setbacks and delays, he said. Federal funding had to be secured and re-secured. Then in 1999, surveys suggested the dam at Success could fail in an earthquake. Lake levels were drastically reduced, but later surveys showed the risk was much lower than initially thought. As the project neared the final phase, it was hit by floods in 2023.

“At that time, we had more than 6,500 cubic feet per second coming through the construction site,” Foster said. “That was definitely a delay. But today, it is so good to see Mr. Schafer’s dream realized.”

Racing to the Finish Line

The crowd got a good laugh when David Brummel, vice president of infrastructure operations for contractor Michels Corporation, explained how his crews put the pedal to the metal when he got a call from the Army Corps saying the project needed to be done within five months by December 2024.

“Eighty percent of the concrete you see here today was poured in those five months,” he said. “I’m so glad to see the lake filled up on the other side. And that it’s holding.”

About the Author

Lisa grew up in Tulare County. She has reported on agriculture and other issues for a wide variety of publications, including, Ag Alert, Visalia Times-Delta, the Fresno Bee and the Tulare and Kings counties farm bureau publications. She is a graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo’s journalism program and has earned a certificate in Technical Communication from Arizona State University. Lisa is the proud mother of two adult children. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, dining out and traveling.

About SJV Water

SJV Water is an independent, nonprofit news site covering water in the San Joaquin Valley, www.sjvwater.org. Email us at sjvwater@sjvwater.org.